Saturday, April 4, 2015

Years ago, I wrote an article, pasted at the bottom of this, about benefits taking too long to come though. I have had some recent experience that is baffling to me, and I wanted to hear from other vets on what their experiences have been like.

I wanted to write to let everybody know that I am going to be more active in writing on this blog once again. It's been a while, and a lot has happened with me, but I want to devote more time to helping fellow veterans.

There has been a shift in how the VA is treating veterans because of the spotlight on the VA in the media, and I wanted to hear from people to see what has been the biggest change they have seen so far. It could be from any part of the VA, whether it is medical, eligibility, vocational rehab, or any other program.

Please share your thoughts and check in with the blog to see what I am writing about. Thank you again!

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

"Feres doctrine refers to a principle whereby a member of the military is barred from recovering damages from the United States on a claim brought under the Federal Tort Claims Act for injuries sustained in military service. The standard was set in the Supreme Court case Feres v. United States, 340 U.S. 135 (U.S. 1950). The Federal Tort Claims Act allows persons intentionally or negligently wronged by a government employee to sue the government for their injuries. However Feres decision bars suits involving injuries to members of the armed forces. Even though the doctrine has long been criticized as unfair to service members it continues to be in force. " (uslegal.com)

This law was put in place with good intentions I am sure, because the government can not afford to pay large settlements to every member of the military who was injured in service. The problem here is that there are many people that were intentionally and negligently injured by their chain of command, and there are no repercussions for such an act.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

I am looking for guest bloggers to help others by sharing their stories. They can be good or bad, about the military or the VA. I found that sharing my story with others has helped me to release some of the feelings I had, and it has obviously helped others. I can keep your name out of it, or share it with others. Feel free to email me your story at redsoxfandade@yahoo.com.

UXBRIDGE, Mass (FOX25 / MyFoxBoston.com) - An Uxbridge man injured while serving in Iraq in 2005 is trying to raise money for an operation that will help ease his constant pain.
Sgt. Stephen Mandile suffered brain and spinal cord injuries during a Humvee crash in Baghdad. The 34-year-old has a hard time walking and must take 21 pills a day.
Mandile says he applied to have the surgery done by the V.A., but he says the request was denied.
The procedure involves implanting a pain pump in Mandile's body. It will cost as much as $50,000. Mandile and his wife say they decided to ask for help after their daughter was born.

If you would like to learn more about the fund please click on the link: sgtmandile.com/

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

One of the biggest challenges faced by military veterans is returning to civilian life. While it might not seem like a huge deal to many, some suffer from the lack of discipline, and often feeling as though there is not much point to what they are doing.

Despite the fact that most military personnel leave the Army with a great skill set (No matter whether they are infantry, logistics or something else) they rarely realize just how useful these skills are, or how to re-purpose them for the ‘real world’.

The good news is that since WW2, the military and Government have provided the GI Bill, which offers fantastic financial support for veterans once they leave military service.

Many veterans don’t really relish the thought of returning to education, but what many don’t realize is that using your GI bill benefits can be the ideal time to take your military skill set, and help build upon it with higher education to improve your ability to enter the civilian workforce.

Friday, February 10, 2012

It has been very obvious to me that many of the people reading my blog were having the same trouble that I had with getting their disability benefits in a reasonable time. It took me over 18 months, 14 of which I could not work. The last 4 months I was forced to work through the pain to pay my bills. Many people do not know who they can turn to for help. I have received many emails from people that needed some pointers on how to get their benefits faster. There is no one answer, but one thing is for sure: WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

Let's get a petition going. Please sign the petition below to show the government that we need to be treated better! Tell your friends to come on and sign the petition. I called it "Get Veteran Benefits in 4 Months or Less".

About Me

I am a graduate of Plymouth State University with my degree in Marketing with the Sales Program Option. I am also a disabled Army Veteran who has been out since 2006. I used to be a very active person, but due to my injuries, I can't play sports the way I used to. I've always enjoyed playing video games and watching sports, so I decided to start writing about them.
Please, if you have any feedback feel free to let me know. Also, if you want to hear about a specific topic leave a comment.